Old Father Time
by Sinceslicedbread
Summary: How will Brendan Brady deal with a time sensitive issue?


**A/N Just a bit of fun. We deserve it.**

"Ta dah."

"Stephen do you have to punctuate the end of every session with a musical flourish?"

"I do when it happens to be the roll of the century." He smirked.

"The century – really? I'm that good?"

"Well this century is young innit?" Came the cheeky reply.

"You on the other hand can probably cast your mind back to the beginning of the last one, to compare notes."

Ste shifted his position. He was trying his best not to burst out laughing.

"Watch it son, I'm not that old."

"Yeah ye are; my old man." Ste said with satisfaction. He leant forward to place a small kiss precisely on Brendan's mouth; stopping just short of his target, checking that Brendan was ok with this, before completing his mission.

Even though it had been said in jest, Ste's final comment rankled with the usually unflappable Brendan Brady.

"I'm not that much older than yis" he drawled.

"No course not, what's thirteen years between friends?

Oh yeah, that's right, practically a generation."

Ste thought his own observation was hilarious. Laughter bubbled up his throat and burst through his lips, like a shaken bottle of pop.

Brendan glared.

Ste went on.

"It don't bother me though. I like that you're wise and slow."

"Right that's it." Brendan swiftly launched himself on Ste, wrestling him back onto the bed.

For the next ten minutes Ste was forced to use his mouth for something other than insults.

-O-

Brendan sat at the bar, absent-mindedly flipping coins into a shot glass.

_My old man _– the phrase still jarred.

He knew he shouldn't be bothered by this. Should take this in his stride, but _this_ still smarted.

Brendan realised with embarrassment, that his recently rejuvenated heart was still a little fragile.

Old, how dare he? I'm still down with the kids. He winced and tried to back away from ownership of that sentence.

It told him all he needed to know. He needed to get up-to-speed and fast.

-OOO-

Minutes later Brendan was striding purposefully towards the SU Bar. He pounded the pavement beneath his feet into submission. A man should always walk with intent, he thought. Always.

Bursting through the doors, he spotted his prey and marched forward.

The bar staff stood up straighter as he approached.

"Here you go Blondie-a drink."

Maddie wrinkled her nose up, at the appearance of the garish mocktail being placed before her.

"No thanks, my mother warned me about accepting drinks from strange men."

Brendan flared his nostrils at the refusal.

"Safety conscious. I like that. Adorable. Anyway, moving on. I have a proposition for ye."

Maddie slid down from her perch.

"Seriously, I'm out of here. You need to brush up on your chat-up lines Granddad."

Brendan instantly blocked her path.

"Sit down Goldilocks" he said slowly, " I want to tell you a story."

Ordinarily Maddie would have employed her stiletto down the Achilles' heel move right about now, but she thought better of it, in this instance.

Soon she was staring at Brendan with amusement and laughter in her eyes; which was just as well as she was wearing flats today.

-O-

Having just left one "business meeting" Brendan spied the opportunity for another, when he vacated the SU Bar over an hour later.

Ash, his psychological interrogator was weaving her way towards him, meandering her way through the student rush-hour, keen to make a start on beer o' clock.

"Ashleigh a word."

Ash's head snapped up, and on spying Brendan it ducked down again.

"Oh no."

"Ashleigh my colourful mermaid, a word in your shell-like."

"I'm not working today, you can't make me."

"Ashleigh as a psychologist you know that I can't make you do anything you don't want to do; but as a smart girl you also know it's in your best interests to do as I say."

Letting out a howl to the Gods, Ash reluctantly entered Brendan's personal space voluntarily.

Soon she was squinting up at him in bemused disbelief, whilst searching for her laptop.

-OOO-

Breakfast was always a precarious operation in the Brady household. It was eat or be eaten, (well not eat and be hungry to be more precise).

Cheryl had warned Ste early on, that in her childhood days, one rule held fast around the Brady table, first one finished helped the others and guess who was always the first one finished?

On a good day Ste could salvage maybe fifty percent of what was on his plate.

Today was not a good day.

As he watched in mock-horror, Brendan reached out with both hands and snared his toast as well as his own slice, from their plates.

Ste thought darkly that Brendan had an agenda to keep him slender.

The cheek that followed was just the jam on the non-existent toast.

"Eat up Stephen, you'll never get through the day on that."

"Chance would be a fine thing."

"No sulking Stephen, not today."

Exactly, Ste thought. I thought I'd have a reprieve today, but no.

Ste sighed deeply.

"Bren, are you doing owt later?"

"Busy busy all day Stephen - why?"

"Nothing, I just thought we could meet up, that's all."

"Appealing, but no can do. Tonight however, tonight is a distinct possibility."

Brendan smoothly moved behind Ste and with a crumb-encrusted mouth kissed the back of his neck. Ste felt bits of toast bounce down his vertebrae.

"Eww Brendan!"

Brendan smiled broadly. He crossed the room in three easy strides, and paused to take a long last look at Ste.

"Exquisite" he said and was gone.

It was moments like this that made Ste's heart burst into bloom.

-OOO-

Ste arrived at work at College Coffee, happy of face but a little empty of tum.

"Another day another dollar" he said to Amy as she reached across him to hang up her coat.

"Let's hope today runs smoothly. I could do with a really easy shift."

As Ste smiled in agreement his phone rang. His brow furrowed, it was Brendan.

"Bren, so soon? What an honour."

"Always looking to brighten your day Stephen, you know me. How goes it?"

"Quiet so far. I've made a latte and two cappuccinos; but the place is filling up now, so there might be a rush."

"Maybe your barista skills are pulling them in from near and far."

"Yeah maybe, look I've got to go me right 'cos it's standing room only in 'ere. Sees ya."

As he clicked off, Ste thought he heard a faint chuckle.

Ste turned to Amy.

"It's not normally like this on a Thursday."

He was about to continue when Maddie and the rest of the 6th Formers came and stood in front of him.

"What can I do you for?" Ste asked.

"It's more what we can do for you." Tilly replied beaming before Jono and Neil started to beat box loudly, confidently and surprisingly well.

"Does anyone want a drink?" The request died on Ste's lips as Bart began to sing a powerful and soulful rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday."

Amy clapped her hands as Tilly, Ruby and Sinead broke out into a three-part harmony.

Ste was stunned.

As they hit the chorus, everyone in the coffee shop joined in to sing the familiar words.

Maddie and Esther shimmied next to their bandmates.

It was a full Glee-esque production.

Ste's features did not know what to do with themselves. They were stuck in a perfect o.

Amy had no such qualms as she whooped with delight. By the second verse, she was singing too.

Never had anyone made such a fuss over him.

Ste didn't know where to look.

"Three cheers for Ste." Bart yelled.

The resulting cheers almost raised the roof, as did the round of applause that followed.

"That's not all birthday boy." Amy said as she kissed Ste on the cheek and then led him outside.

"Ames, what's going on?"

"You'll see" she said still smiling, eyes dancing with excitement.

Ste left any zones that contained comfort as he waited for Act 2. He didn't have to wait long.

He looked up, he couldn't quite believe it.

There were students - everywhere.

They came from all directions.

From the bus-shelter. Over the bridge. Down the stairs by the flats. From the Folly. Out of the shops and bars. Everywhere.

They moved as one, with only one thing on their mind.

A whistle blew.

"Attack!"

It was like a cloud-burst. A mini monsoon.

The biggest water-fight ever had begun.

Ste felt a giant water-pistol being thrust into his hands, by Amy, of course.

He was drenched to the skin, before he had the chance to take aim.

It was madness. It was fun. Ste joined in.

Ste gave as good as he got, picking off his opponents with military-like precision. Although the fact that his white polo shirt was now completely see-through, made him a very easy target indeed.

After twenty minutes, Ash blew the final whistle and the flashmob melted away to reveal Brendan, laughing lightly.

Completely dry.

"You." Ste spluttered.

"Me."

"You all did this? For me?" Ste was still incredulous.

"You didn't think I would forget your birthday now, would ye Stephen?"

Brendan wrapped his arms around Ste, oblivious to the fact he wasn't exactly dry.

"Want to come home now and get your main present? He said as he raised his eye-brows.

"What do you think?" Ste replied huskily.

"So how does it feel to be another year older? You're almost catching up with me."

"Hardly." Ste snorted.

They laughed.

As they sauntered off together to begin their own celebrations, wet sticking to dry; Tony's voice could be heard.

"Oi Ste! Where do you think you're going? Your shift hasn't finished yet."

Brendan looked back leisurely over his shoulder.

"# Likehecares Tony." He said as they continued to walk away.

"Like he cares."

-OOO-

**Comments are always appreciated.**


End file.
